Thursdays
6 to 7:30 p.m.
The examination and processing of outdoor scenes can be very different from that of indoor scenes. The determination of what constitutes the scene, the exposure of evidence to the elements, the methods used to conceal evidence, and the transfer of environmental matter from the scene are typically not presented in indoor, or sheltered, crime scenes. Therefore, they require the joint investigative efforts of law enforcement and experts in the various disciplines.
This course is an example of what would be presented to law enforcement officers to make them aware of the scientists and specialists who could help them in their investigations; and to alert them to the types of environmental evidence which could affect their cases.
The course will explore the role of various disciplines in the recovery of evidence from outdoor crime scenes. Each week we will address the application of different disciplines such as archaeology, entomology, botany and geology to the recognition, collection and documentation of crime scene evidence.
Retired FBI Special Agent and Evidence Response Team member Mike Hochrein will lecture and present case histories relative to each topic. Attendees also will see different types of equipment and technology used in the examination of outdoor scenes.
Instructor: Michael J. Hochrein is an adjunct faculty for the Department of Justice, Law and Security of La Roche University and a consultant for HD Forensics in Erie, PA.
He retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2017 after more than 29 years as a Special Agent. In his capacity as a Special Agent, he participated in the investigations of matters ranging from violent crimes, financial and government fraud, as well as child pornography.
Former Agent Hochrein was a member of the FBI’s Evidence Response Team (ERT) Program since its initiation in the mid-1990s. As a certified police instructor in various topics related to the collection of evidence and management of crime scenes, he developed and conducted training for local, state and federal law enforcement, as well as medico-legal practitioners and academic audiences ranging from high school to graduate school.
Former Agent Hochrein was a contributor to the FBI’s Evidence Response Team Field Reference Guide. He is the author or co-author of several peer-reviewed articles on topics of forensic archaeology and forensic geotaphonomy. In addition he continues to compile and update an extensive bibliography for many aspects of crime scene investigation.
Former Agent Hochrein maintains memberships in American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Association for Identification and the International Homicide Investigators Association.